Matsuzaka jerseys are already a hot commodity in Boston and Japan, just as Suzuki's have been since he came to the U.S. seven years ago.

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And inside and outside Fenway Park dozens of fans held signs in Japanese that incited the Matsuzaka-Ichiro rivalry (for the record, Suzuki went 0 for 4 against Matsuzaka).

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Given the free agent flame-outs in Boston such as JD Drew, John Lackey, Carl Crawford, and Daisuke Matsuzaka (Dice K), Mr. Epstein will need to shore up his ability to sign the right free-agent talent.

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The much anticipated matchup between Suzuki and Matsuzaka got an average viewer rating of 10.7% in Tokyo (peaking at 13.3% when Matsuzaka faced Suzuki), where the game was shown live by national broadcaster NHK at 8:35 a.m. (the advertisements behind home plate appeared in Japanese to cater to those viewing the game in Japan).

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